Hallmark Sympathy Cards for the Unemployed

With the US unemployment rate hovering around nine percent, it’s nice to know someone‘s business is thriving. In this case, that someone is Hallmark, which recently began selling sympathy cards aimed at those who’ve lost jobs.

In the past, Hallmark produced cards expressing condolences to those who suffered through the Great Depression, military draftees and the loved ones of 9/11 victims. This new installment is yet another sign that the century-old company still has its finger on the pulse of America.

“People in times of need will always need to connect,” Hallmark’s creative director Derek McCracken told NPR. “And when the consumers have asked us for a way to connect in those difficult situations, we try to respond in an authentic way and we think that what the greeting card does is offer a bridge.”

“Loss of job, like any loss, is a grieving process,” he added. “So we have to acknowledge as soon as possible what had happened and then try to support them.”

The tone of these cards ranges from sentimental to wryly humorous, with one reading, “Don’t think of it as losing your job. Think of it as a time-out between stupid bosses.”

If you can’t find the cards at one of the company’s 40,000 retail outlets, they can be purchased online for $3.49 — assuming, of course, you have a job and a little disposable income to spend on such things.